Biden Facing Challenges in Georgia: Decreased Voter Turnout and Polling Gaps

President Joe Biden is facing challenges in the swing state of Georgia less than eight months before the election. In the 2020 election, Biden won by a margin of fewer than 12,000 votes against Donald Trump, but recent polls show him trailing the Republican presidential candidate. This, combined with low turnout in the recent Democrat primary, indicates potential difficulties for the Biden-Harris campaign in Georgia.

Democrat strategist Fred Hicks, based in Atlanta, highlighted the enthusiasm gap between Democratic and Republican voters in Georgia. He emphasized the need for Democrats to focus on voter turnout rather than just deciding on a candidate for the November election.

Turnout for the Democrat primary was around 290,000, while nearly 589,000 voters participated in the Republican primary. Despite both Biden and Trump running unopposed at this point, there was a significant difference in turnout between the two parties.

Additionally, over 6,000 voters participated in the “Leave it Blank” campaign, leaving their ballots blank to protest Biden’s Israel policy. This amounted to 2.2% of all Democrat ballots cast and indicates some discontent within the party.

Biden also won’t benefit from the down-ballot races that helped him in 2020 when Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock were elected as Georgia’s first Jewish and Black senators. Their terms run through 2026, but their absence from the ballot could impact voter enthusiasm for Biden.

Trump currently leads Biden by 5.7 points in Georgia according to polling averages. Recent polls show Trump leading by 4 and 3 points, respectively. One poll by Emerson College showed an 8-point lead for Trump on the issue of immigration, following a recent tragic event involving an illegal immigrant.

Despite these challenges, the race remains unpredictable, with both campaigns facing uncertainties as the election approaches.